White House: Iran's Decision to Produce Nuclear Fuel for Ships Does Not Violate JCPOA

Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, responded on Tuesday to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's directive regarding the construction of a nuclear-powered ship, stating that this decision by Tehran does not violate the nuclear agreement with six world powers, known as the JCPOA. On Tuesday, the Iranian President issued two separate letters to Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, instructing them to implement the measures outlined in the JCPOA to address violations of this international agreement. The missions of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization in this letter include 'planning for the design and construction of a nuclear propulsion system for use in maritime transport' and 'studying and designing the production of fuel for nuclear propulsion' in collaboration with scientific and research centers. According to Reuters, Josh Earnest stated that what the Iranians announced today does not constitute a violation of the international agreement aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In this context, John Kirby, the U.S. State Department spokesman, said that Washington trusts the International Atomic Energy Agency's ability to assess Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement. Kirby added, referring to Rouhani's directive, that there is much we do not know about this, but achieving nuclear marine propulsion capability requires significant commitments from the country and may take decades. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that what the Iranian President has ordered is more about the use of nuclear technology in the maritime sector rather than higher enrichment, and therefore such action would not violate the nuclear agreement. On Tuesday, Hassan Rouhani, in response to what he called 'the negligence, delay, and violation of the JCPOA' by the U.S. and also the U.S. Congress's action to extend the Iran sanctions law for another decade, instructed Zarif and Salehi in two separate letters to take reciprocal actions. Rouhani wrote to Zarif that 'the Foreign Ministry is instructed to take action regarding the implementation of the measures outlined in the JCPOA to address violations and to seriously pursue other necessary legal and international follow-ups.' He also asked Zarif to report on the Foreign Ministry's actions in this regard within a month. Initially, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'Iran Sanctions Act' with a majority vote, and then the Senate also extended this law for another 10 years without a single opposing vote. For this legislation to be finalized, President Barack Obama must sign it. The approval of the extension of the Iran sanctions law in the U.S. Congress has angered officials of the Islamic Republic. In this context, Zarif: Iran's request to form a joint commission on the JCPOA; Rouhani's directive to Zarif and Salehi regarding the 'violation of the JCPOA' by the U.S.; response to the extension of the sanctions law; the JCPOA oversight committee convened; Sadegh Larijani: officials should state what benefits remain for Iran from the JCPOA; Kirby: the congressional resolution does not limit the U.S. ability to fulfill its JCPOA commitments; White House spokesman: the foreign minister has the authority to remove the nuclear section of the 'Iran Sanctions Act'; changing the game for 'proxy forces'; war against the people in the streets of Iran; the first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalization of Iranian society; the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amidst the Iran crisis.